ANA Inspiration 2017: Tee Times, Dates, TV Schedule, LPGA Prize Money

The LPGA's first major of the year kicks off on Thursday as the 2017 ANA Inspiration gets underway at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.

New Zealand's world No. 1 Lydia Ko will be looking to defend her title after she edged out England's Charley Hull and South Korea's In Gee Chun by one shot to prevail in 2016.

The field also includes 14-year-old American amateur Lucy Li, appearing at her second major following her 2014 showing at the U.S. Women's Open as an 11-year-old.

Here are the full details, including scheduling and television information, for the much-anticipated tournament around the Dinah Shore Tournament Course:

Dates: Thursday, March 30, to Sunday, April 2

TV Info: Live on the Golf Channel (U.S.), Sky Sports 4 (UK)

TV Schedule: Thursday (midday to 4 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET), Friday (midday to 4 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET), Saturday (5 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET), Sunday (5 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET)

Purse: $2.6 million

Tee Times: For full pairings visit the tournament's official website.

Ko, 19, comes into the ANA Inspiration having missed only the second cut of her career at last week's Kia Classic, per Golf.com:

Given her quality, it is unlikely to make a huge impact as she looks to retain her title, but she will be eager to make a fast start in an attempt to be in contention for another triumph come Sunday.

She faces some stiff competition. Chun, last year's joint runner-up and a two-time major winner, is one of the key favourites.

The 22-year-old has earned top-10 finishes in three of the four tournaments she has played so far in 2017 and has experience of competing for the top spot on a Sunday at the ANA Inspiration.

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

World No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn is also in decent form and will be eager to claim her second career major at the end of this week.

The 21-year-old Thailand native, 21, came in a tie for 21st at the Kia Classic—won by South Korean world No. 14 Mirim Lee—but had previously earned two consecutive second places.

Li missed the cut at her first major in 2014 at Pinehurst No. 2 before she was a teenager. She earned her spot at this year's ANA Inspiration by winning the AJGA's ANA Junior Inspiration, and her experience of already having played on such a massive stage will likely be invaluable.

The California-born youngster said ahead of the tournament that her main aim is to learn from and enjoy the experience at the Mission Hills Country Club, per Golf Digest's Ryan Herrington: "I just want to have fun next week and enjoy it and learn. I bet it's going to be really similar and really different. I'm just really excited."